Brain hackers
This is the page of the Brain Hackers aka the Neurohacking/Neuromodulation London Hackspace Group. We do experiments and play around with kits to measure and alter brain activity in a non-invasive way and develop novel accessible neurostimulation means accompanied by real time measurement and feedback. Some of us are trained neuroscientists or electronics engineers, others are hobbyists. All friendly and interested people are welcome to volunteer and participate in trials, but everything is obviously at your own risk (where such risk may exist).
We are now in the process of organizing and starting work on a few specific projects from the Project Ideas. More update on this in the coming weeks.
List of kit available by different members of the group:
-EEG -> multiple copies of the 1 channel bipolar (TrueSense Kit) recorder, multiple copiMindWave Mobile (1 channel), Emotiv Epoc (14 channels), KT88 (16 channels, photoic stimulation), AMEA slow potentials mapper (2 channels), new model of AMEA expected Feb
-tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) -> DIY, foc.us (developers edition not arrived yet)
-tACS (transcranial alternate current stimulation) -> DIY, DrTES (transcranial analgesia device)
-Transcranial laser / decoherent light stimulation within optical permeability window of tissues (roughly between 600 and 1200 nm) -> Matrix LLLT with in-built photometer and external SRT block, impulse modulated 890 nm and 635 nm single and matrix lasers, continuous modulated 810 and 640 nm, all-inclusive large laser/LED head, continuous red/infrared LED matrix
-Weak field TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation, microtesla range or even lower) -> 64 coil Koren helmet augmented for placement of more coils, smaller phone tap coils - based hats and setups, large (3m) coil, MIT-MT stimulator (0.1-99 Hz range) with different size coils (induction going up to 25 mT max, 8-shaped configuration up to 10 mT) including coils with centrally positioned high power red, infrared and blue LEDs for combined ligfht and magnetic stimulation
-Other -> SGR sensor, photopletismograph, modulated high voltage "singing arc", scopes, magnetometers, function generators, amps etc.
Of course, you are more than welcome to suggest other relevant ideas to test and projects to try. The possibilities are, indeed, "Limitless" (pun intended).
P.S.: folks from Mind Hacking and Biohacking groups are, of course, welcome to join in, but we surely need electronic engineering and coding enthusiasts interested in such matters!
For neuroscientific and technical questions and curiosities involving brain hacking, feel free to get in touch with any of the following:
Martin Dinov
Andrew Vladimirov
Dirk Bruere
Some of the popular relevant presentations from Andrew can be found here:
https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/w/index.php?title=File:Cogenhancement_part1.pdf
https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/w/index.php?title=File:Cogenchancement_part2.pdf
https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/w/index.php?title=File:Self_hacking_via_replay_attacks.pdf
Bibliography
Some relevant reading for those who want to go hardcore :-) Of course it is far from being complete and needs to constantly be updated, oh well...
Accessible measurement methodologies and BCI
Neurostimulation methods and their effects
Possible molecular level neurostimulation mechanisms and related works
Putative subatomic level mechanisms and related works
Neuronal growth promotion and control via neurostimulation
Neuronal plasticity, learning, memory, the "binding factor"
* Miscellaneous electromagnetic signalling in the brain
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Michael A. Persinger, Blake T. Dotta, Kevin S. Saroka. Bright light transmits through the brain: Measurement of photon emissions and frequency-dependent modulation of spectral electroencephalographic power. World Journal of Neuroscience, 2013, 3, 10-16.
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Kevin S. Saroka, Blake T. Dotta, Michael A. Persinger. Concurrent Photon Emission, Changes in Quantitative Brain Activity over the Right Hemisphere, and Alterations in the Proximal Geomagnetic Field While Imagining White Light. International Journal of Life Science and Medical Research February. 2013, Vol. 3 Iss. 1, PP. 30-34
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* Alternative theories of consciousness and related publications for those interested in such weird stuff :-)
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